


A Glint of Light on Broken Glass

by CaptainJZH



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: 100 words per chapter, Angst, Based on the recent leak, But knowledge of said leak not required, Gen, Just act like I'm a psychic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-05 02:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13378401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJZH/pseuds/CaptainJZH
Summary: Sometimes you don’t know how good your life was until you leave it behind. Lapis learns that the hard way.





	1. Retreat

The Earth got smaller and smaller as she flew away, the Barn floating close in front.

 

She kept pushing herself to continue on, to leave behind that doomed planet forever and find some isolated corner of the universe like she planned…

 

But then she stopped.

 

Her mind flooded with memories of her former life on Earth: Flying with Steven, playing baseball with the Rubies, making Meep-Morps with Peridot, watching Camp Pining Hearts, Pumpkin…

 

It seemed as though she was almost actually happy.

 

“...why did I give all that up?” she asked the vastness of space.

 

It didn’t have an answer.


	2. Regret

Lapis didn’t know what to do.

She thought she wanted to leave, but…

For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to fly any further.

She wanted to go back. She wished she had never made that stupid decision to leave in the first place.

But what could she do now? Just go back and hope Peridot forgave her? Peridot probably hated her.

She couldn’t return to Earth, but she didn’t want to leave either. Where could she go?

She looked right ahead. There was one place she could go, at least for now, until she figured things out:

The Moon.


	3. Resignation

Lapis had never been to the Diamond Base on Earth’s moon before. A terraformer like her had no reason to.

But now, she found herself flying through the open doors, into the center atrium where the elites had once walked.

She set the Barn down on top of the Diamond Authority logo.

Lapis looked up at the huge murals of the four Diamonds, and buried her face in her knees. She felt helpless in the shadow of their might.

Lapis was terrified.

Her fear of Homeworld had overcome her.

And it cost her the happy life she used to have.


	4. Reminders

Lapis forced herself to walk inside the Barn.

 

Lifting the Barn out of the ground and into space had done a number on its interior; Everything not tied down was strewn all over the floor.

 

The CPH Box Set they had watched together. The instruments they had played together. The Meep-Morps they had made together.

 

She stopped at the sight of a broken tape-recorder.

 

Peridot’s prized possession. Which she had broken.

 

A further reminder of her faults. Her failures.

 

Lapis collapsed onto her knees and gripped her forearms.

 

And Lapis, for the first time in her life, began to cry.


	5. Remorse

If there was one thing Lapis wanted right then, it was just to know how Peridot was doing without her. If she was okay.  
But there was no way for her to know that, not here, unless…

  
Lapis flew into the next level of the tower, and there it was: The Surveillance Orb.

  
She placed her hands on it.

  
“Just...show me Peridot, please.”

  
The walls flickered away as she suddenly found herself in Steven’s “bathroom.”

  
Peridot was face-down in the tub, every ounce of happiness drained from her.

  
“Oh Stars,” Lapis said, her voice cracking.  
“ _What have I done?_ ”


	6. Recovery

Lapis spent a long time watching the image of Peridot face-down in the bathtub.

  
She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t stop herself.

  
She wished she could just go down there and make it better, but a strong feeling told her that would only make it worse.

  
As the days dragged on, she saw Peridot being comforted by Amethyst, her hanging out with Steven, him showing her around Beach City, and the other Crystal Gems gathering around her whenever she felt down.

  
Peridot would be happier without her, Lapis thought.

  
The Crystal Gems were better friends than she ever was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The “recovery” in the title is referring to Peridot, not Lapis.


	7. Recognition

The thought of fighting for Earth briefly crossed Lapis’ mind, but it was immediately quashed by her horrific memories of the war, visualized by the Orb in vivid detail.

 

Those memories reminded her of why she left in the first place. 

 

But…

 

She wanted Peridot to be safe. And Peridot wanted to stay on Earth. 

 

And Lapis, at least according to herself, could never go back.

 

Lapis sat down next to the image of Peridot on the beach.

 

“This is all my fault,” she began.

 

“And I know it’s not enough, but I just wanted to tell you...

 

“I’m sorry.”


End file.
